Bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic on the west, Slovakia and Ukraine to the south, and Belarus and Russia to the east, Poland also enjoys a coastline on the Baltic Sea up north. While it hasn’t been known as a destination among backpackers in the past, it has come a long way over the last ten years and more and more travellers are crossing the borders from its bordering countries every year.

Dating back to over 1,000 years ago, it has endured a troubled history, most notably during World War II when much of the capital, Warsaw, was destroyed during air raids. Slowly but surely it has rebuilt itself and has recaptured much of its charm which was so nearly destroyed.

Divided into 16 provinces, approximately 25% of the population are employed by agriculture. Industry is also a vital part of its economy and in the 1990s the Polish economy was one of the fastest growing in Europe. Why things have died down in recent years, tourism is now becoming a more and more important part of its economy.